Anger at media focus on crime
Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui vented his anger yesterday over what he called excessive and sensational crime reporting by the island's three state-owned television stations.
Mr Lee, who also chairs the ruling Kuomintang, instructed party Secretary-General John Chang Hsiao-yen to relay his concerns to the management of the three stations, Kuomintang spokesman Huang Li-ching said.
Meanwhile, outspoken political commentator Li Ao expressed his outrage after the owner of a cable TV network broadcasting his daily programme said his show would be cancelled at the end of the month.
The privately-owned network, Rebar Eastern TV, is managed by Gary Wang Ling-lin, son of business tycoon Wang You-theng.
The elder Mr Wang is a member of the Kuomintang's policy-making Central Standing Committee.
Mr Gary Wang said Li's show, Li Ao Talks Nonsense, was being cancelled purely because of 'business considerations'.
But Li, a historian known for his colourful, angry tirades against political figures, said his show enjoyed high ratings and advertising revenue and blamed the elder Mr Wang.
He vowed to sue Rebar Eastern TV for violating the terms of its contract and said he would attack the Wang family and Kuomintang leaders, on a programme he hosts on another private network.
Observers said yesterday's developments indicated Kuomintang leaders were still interfering in the news media despite mushrooming private television and radio stations and newspapers since media controls were lifted in 1987.
Mr Lee made his comments at yesterday's Central Standing Committee meeting, Ms Huang said.
She quoted him as saying the tendency by television stations to concentrate most of their reporting on crime stories was having a negative impact on society, and the island's image overseas.
Mr Chang would instruct television stations to give priority to reporting on cultural activities instead of crime, she said.
Participants at the meeting said later Mr Lee was angry that state-owned stations had broadcast remarks made on Tuesday by Governor James Soong.
Mr Soong harshly criticised the Government for what he said was its usurping of local autonomy, even taking the power to issue driving licences.
He said that even the regimes of Hitler, Mao Zedong and Stalin would not make such a grab for power.
